Director, Development Project Management (Hybrid)

Merck • North Wales, PA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Global Project and Alliance Management (GPAM) sits in the Research & Development Division (R&D). The Development Project Managers in GPAM are core members of development teams at our Company.
Development Project Managers drive these cross-functional teams to deliver projects and products that improve human health and business.
Under the broad guidance of the Executive Director, GPAM, the core responsibility of this Staff Manger role will be direct management of Development Project Managers, including understanding their projects and developing their knowledge of drug/vaccine/biologics development, governance & team processes. The staff manager will be expected to monitor quality of project management deliverables and assign accountability for the maintenance of project management fundamental practices to staff in support of broader business goals.
This role will also independently manage development programs and / or due diligence/business development activities, regardless of complexity, phase or program type, based on direct experience and / or the ability to translate prior experiences to new opportunities.
This position may be based in either Rahway, NJ, or Upper Gwynedd, PA.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Eight (8) years of experience in PM or related role/expertise in pharma and/or biotech or related role in product development/pharma/biotech
• Demonstrated ability to manage resources, time, and budget effectively for given projects; is business savvy and results oriented.

Nice To Haves

• Degree concentration in a scientific-related discipline
• Project Management certification / training (PMP) and / or coursework & training in Project Management
• Advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MS, PharmD, Ph.D.)
• Twelve (12) years of experience preferred, or equivalent combination of advanced education and relevant experience and/or training.
• Six (6) years of experience in direct people management or demonstrated experience building/cultivating talent
• Planning and execution of strategies for drug/vaccine product registration and commercialization/life-cycle management (can be R&D, manufacturing or commercial perspective), with demonstrated ability to translate knowledge and expertise to other development teams and areas
• Sufficient skill levels and technical comprehension of product development to be recognized as a project management/product development expert within the broader organization
• Proven ability to evaluate, integrate, recommend, contribute to development of conceptual plans for, and guide implementation of, strategic, process, and team improvement and change initiatives cross-functionally
• Effective at motivating and energizing others, establishing clear goals, delegating responsibility, mentoring and coaching within a team setting
• Demonstrated situational leadership and creative problem solving within department and teams
• Able to comprehend project details, but keep overall “big picture” view of projects, priorities, and strategies
• High emotional intelligence with strong communication skills, both oral and written. Knows when and how to speak up and appropriately raise issues to team and to management. Keeps both team members, departmental colleagues (as appropriate), and management fully apprised of project initiative status and issues

Responsibilities

• Line manage Development Project Managers
• Coach more junior staff in the nuances of managing a development project—management of team dynamics, comprehending stages of development and how functional inputs interact to ensure project progression, coaching on Our Company/ our Research & Development Division /GPAM processes, and PM skills.
• Lead change by clearly communicating the “what and why,” ensuring understanding and holding staff accountable for adoption; driving innovation by challenging assumptions, experimenting, learning from outcomes, and scaling impactful ideas.
• Align and set individual priorities, establish measurable outcomes, track progress, and assign clear ownership for deliverables
• Objectively and accurately assesses employees' skills, capabilities, and performance in the context of their projects, independently of stakeholder feedback
• Gives timely, specific and appropriate feedback about performance, development needs and development progress; reinforce efforts and progress.
• Check for understanding of and commitment to performance and development goals as well as follow-up activities
• Modulates coaching style to the individual understanding tier experience and performance level
• Addresses unacceptable performance or behavior on own team without hesitation
• Surfaces conflict among team members and productively resolves it
• Model emotional intelligence; foster inclusion and psychological safety; recognize contributions; inspire high performance and confidence.
• Prepare and participate in Talent Sessions and Calibrations
• Ensure compliance with training, policy and procedures
• Able to independently manage development projects and / or due diligence efforts of any type, irrespective of phase, complexity, priority, or involvement with an alliance partner.
• Work to ensure that PM standards are being employed across projects.
• Participate in continuous improvement projects that require extensive product development experience and comprehension of our company procedures and policies. These departmental, cross-divisional, or major corporate change projects can relate to optimizing capabilities, systems and operations, or improving the functioning of teams and / or development processes.

Benefits

• The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
• Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees